1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic head cleaner for a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus. The present invention also pertains to a method of making the magnetic head cleaner and a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus utilizing the magnetic head cleaner so manufactured.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus such as, for example, a video tape recorder (VTR), a digital audio tape (DAT) recorder and a digital data storage (DDS) device, of a type utilizing a rotary magnetic head assembly, a rotary head-carrier drum carrying a plurality of magnetic recording and/or reproducing heads mounted thereon rotates at a high speed to cause the magnetic heads to undergo an angular movement in a common plane about the axis of rotation of the head carrier. In this apparatus, it has been experienced that adherence or sticking of foreign matter to some or all of the rotary magnetic heads brings about a spacing loss by which the recording or reproducing capability of the rotary magnetic heads is apt to be reduced to such an extent as to result in reduction in reliability of the apparatus.
Foreign matter tending to adhere to the rotary magnetic heads includes fibrous or particulate dust, powdery magnetic particles disintegrated from a length of magnetic tape as the latter travels in sliding contact with the rotary magnetic heads and/or the rotary head-carrier drum, binder particles or a finely divided scraps of component parts forming a tape transmission system or a mixture thereof. To remove a deposit of foreign matter from the rotary magnetic heads, it is known to use a magnetic head cleaner. By way of example, the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 3-241512, published in 1991, discloses a magnetic head cleaner of a generally cylindrical configuration made of a soft member such as, for example, a sponge material. Cleaning of the rotary magnetic heads to remove the deposit of foreign matter from an operating surface of each magnetic head is carried out at intervals of a predetermined time.
More specifically, with reference to FIG. 32, the head cleaner 80 disclosed in the Japanese publication referred to above includes a tubular soft member 69 mounted on a spindle which is in turn rotatably mounted on a support arm movable between operative and inoperative positions in a direction as indicated by the arrow 68. A magnetic information recording and/or reproducing apparatus shown therein includes a head-carrier drum 7 carrying at least one magnetic recording and/or reproducing head 76 for rotation together therewith in a direction shown by the arrow 41, a stationary drum 8 coaxially positioned below the head-carrier drum 7, a length of magnetic tape 38 running from a supply reel (not shown) to a take-up reel (not shown) by way of the head-carrier drum 7 having been guided by rotary guide posts 20 and 27 and inclined guide posts 29 and 30.
The soft member 69 is in the form of a tubular sponge with or without abrasive particles such as for example, alumina particles impregnated therein.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,893 discloses a magnetic head cleaner made of a soft material impregnated with abrasive particles to render the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic head cleaner to exhibit an abrasive action on the rotary magnetic heads to remove the deposit of foreign matter sticking to the rotary magnetic heads.
It has, however, been found that with the design in which only the soft member slidingly contacts the rotary magnetic heads, no sufficient cleaning effect can be obtained. With the design wherein the abrasive particles are impregnated, that portion of the soft member impregnated with the abrasive particles which is brought into contact with the rotary magnetic heads tends to be inwardly recessed relative to opposite end portions thereof and, once this occurs, the rotary head-carrier drum may be damaged during a cleaning operation and/or insufficient cleaning of the rotary head-carrier drum to remove the foreign matter may take place. Also, disintegration of the abrasive particle may result in damage to the length of magnetic recording tape and/or to the magnetic recording and/or reproducing heads, accompanied by reduction in reliability.